Christmas with my Nite Owl Whooters

I am so lucky to be able to meet with my quilting friends, the Nite Owl Whooters almost every Tuesday. My quilting friends are so much a part of my life. They are there for me when times are tough, they share the happiest of life's events and they truly have carried me through so much. I love them beyond measure . Each one is different and I love them all for their differences. As a group, we are so diverse and stronger for our diversities.
We have a secret pal gift exchange each year. Usually, we make each other a quilt or something handmade for our Christmas party and then have a big reveal exchange. This year, I made this Christmas Owl painting for my dear friend, Linda. I was so excited to make this for her. She loves (I mean, crazy loves) owls. I couldn't bring this in to show my friends ahead of time so it has been secretly living on my fireplace mantel for about a month now. Last week, we had our grand party and Linda got to open her gifts. I gave her a small quilted hanging and her painting. I loved watching her excited face when she opened up her gifts. She is a bright light in our group and I am so lucky to have her friendship
This special Christmas party really jump starts me for the holiday. There is nothing like spending a day with good friends.  Merry Christmas to my Nite Owl Whooters! 

Art is better with friends

Art is even more fun with friends. My friend Norma and I had an art day. She came over and worked all day long on art. So much fun! It is amazing how two people who have learned the same techniques can make art so differently. So, I made a background and hated the background color I had chosen. Seriously. Baby poo colored mess covering my lovely collage papers. Norma said she liked it so I gave her the canvas to keep. Really, just take it. Ick. So, Norma takes it and splashes some of her stencils and colors that I would never have chosen and now it's really so much better. She gifts the canvas back to me. Now I have something fun to work with again and I add more of my own painting, stamps, rubons and then paint a fun girl. I had to make her a Latina Chica in honor of our combined art and Latin ethnicity. Of course, her birthday was a couple of weeks later so I just had to give her the Chica painting framed.  Happy Birthday my friend.

Fairy Day

I've had some commissioned pieces completed this month. I have loved them all and I know they are going to great homes.

Fairy Girl

Sea Turtles

These are both on painted canvas backgrounds and use paper, inks, acrylic paints and lots of fun doodles. I love the whimsy of them.

Mama Birdie

I took a class from Melody Ross of the Brave Girls Club, called Soul Restoration, in January. The online course really helped me to focus on my life and what is important. In our class, the bird symbolizes our Truthteller, or God.  Since God is the Source of all, I created this painting to show this nurturing provider.  It's been a very Brave Girl year!

Brave Girls Club - Melody Ross

Weather Vane Part I

This week I made this mixed media collage art design. He is a handome painting now but soon will have a fabric cousin. I am going using this painting as inspiration for a quilt design.

Here we go...Today is the first day

Today I am opening up to the big world. I am beginning my beautiful life and embracing some scary parts. I have wanted to design for years. Years. I design all the time but just little bits, not every day. This week I have actually been paid for my artwork. I have been commissioned to make more. It's time to acknowlege the time is here, right now, to declare that I am an artist and designer.
I wake up thinking of new designs. I go to sleep thinking of more things to make, designs to create, paintings to paint. I am thankful to God for so much inspiration.
I have a family that comes first so artwork fits in this busy life that I love. I can paint a background while dinner is cooking or laundry is swishing around. My artwork is my outlet. It's a coping mechanism. It also makes me happy.
So, here we go. I'm all in officially. I just need a bit more time.  :)